The intelligencer., 1887-10-15

audock, who, we are told, divides
his time between acting as guide and
philosophizing upon political economy,
to haul our boats and other traps to
the river. 1t was not many minutes
after we reached the station until our
cortege was en- route. The two Bills
and the boy walked in advance with
the artillery. perched myself on the
bow of one of the boats as ballast, and
to draw out the gentleman from Ken
lucky; and Frank, who carries a stiff
leg from q minnie bullet received at the
Battle of Pea Ridge, seated himself
elsewhere in the wagon.
1t was not hard to make the gentle
man from Kentucky talk. 1t hardly
ever is. We did not introduce our
selves to him, as we knew he would
wsat us to engage his services, and we
did not desire to be chaperoned, but
ne saw our names upon our boxes, and
we hadn't gone a mile-and-a-h half until
he called US by them as pat as if he
had known us for twenty years, and
he didn't use any handles to them,
either. Why should he? What is the
use of conventionality in the woods?
He was a useful fellow-he talked a
blue streak. He never ceased to talk,
except to expectorate. He told US the
biography of several of the public men
of Southwest Missouri, assured us of
the intimacy of his acquaintance with
Frank Cockrell, and that George
Vest wonld have gotten him position
as Indian agent, post trader, or some
thing of that kind, if another fellow
bad not unfortunately gotten the place,
much to the sorrow of George and of
himself.
He told us that the road we were
enthusiast named r. M. BOatwright,
who had discovered guano deposits in
an immense cave on the GascOnade,
near where we were to camp. That
he had built this road, in many places
cut into the solid rock, at q cost of
81 800, and had spent $4,000 or 81, 1000
more for machinery to prepare this
gIano tor market, when he considered
that his fortune was made, as the
chemist told him that this article,
when produced by bats was much
more valuable than the variety in
| which Mr.. Blaine dealt in Peru. After
the guano mine was fully developed
Mr.. Boaiwright shipped five cars of it
to Baltimore, where it was sold,
bringing $4OO less than the freight
alone amounted to, and so the specula-
tion had fallen into innocuous disue-
| tude.
AR. Craddock told US that he was
| first class bass fisherman. and we be-
lieve in that he told the truth; he as
sureG us that it was impossible for us
10 find our way down the river with
out his pilotage; that we wouldn't
! know where to find the water in the
! river, the springs to camp by, or the
! places in which best to lure the wary
bass. These oracular utterances de-
livered he would expectorate aud
await an answer. None coming he
would resume the thread of his dis
course.
He fingered lovingly on some of the
experiences which he had had taking
down the GascoIade fishing parties
whose principal occupation seemed to
have been to fill themselves with bug
juice. He inquired in an indirect man.
ner as to the character of our tipple
He advised us to lay in a plenty Of
eggs. Evidently his Idea was that
fishing parties could not exist without
eggs to eat and whisky to drink. HI
concluded by assuring us that we
would at least have to employ him fol
a few days, just to show us how te
start off.
By that time we had reached the
river, and we very unceremoniousl,
went to dumping our paraphernalis
ont of the wagon. AS we got through
Mr.. Craddock intimated to one of tn,
boys that it had been a rather lon.
time bet " cen drinks, and was informed
that while we regretted any inconve.
nience it might be to him there wa
not a drop of wine, brandy, whisky
beer or any other intoxicant in tn,
crowd, not even a phial full for snake
bites. His form Strengthened, his most
elevated of its own accord. his lii
curled, he received the shekels tor hi
drive in sad and plying silence, b.
turned away and shook from his fee
the dust Of such an unprovided cam
as that. Forsaken and unbefriendel
III strange land we went into ou
, bivouac.
So here we are, twenty-four hour
out f. ON home, costly camped on tn
banks OF the Gasconade, our tw
boats floating lightly or its waters
which but few Yards higher up com
! toaming down in rapids, making
roaring sound that inspires US witt
/. that uncertainty Of what dangers ina,
5 be before us which constitutes tn
) spice of adventure. Our first cam
3 was named Trigg. 1t was upon
' point of land bet " cen the road and tn
: rivers bank, under some grand trees
5 A very few minutes sufficed to pitcI
Z: the tent, start fire, fry some bacon
| get a cup. of coffee, and fall to.
/ was beautiful evening. The crescen
c moon had early disappeared, and LEI
the stars to reign over the night witt
!. their mellow light. The tree fro
chirped his little song, the wind sighe,
gently through the swinging boughi